West Ham United must ready Ian Maatsen bid now as Chelsea stance made clear
West Ham must ensure they are at the front of the queue for Ian Maatsen as Chelsea are reportedly ready to sell the full-back in January.
The Irons were strongly linked with the Netherlands Under-21s international in the summer as an upgrade on Aaron Cresswell and Emerson Palmieri.
Quite why a move did not transpire is unknown, but Maatsen ultimately stayed put at Stamford Bridge and has seen his career stagnate.
According to Dean Jones [GIVEMESPORT, 22 October], United are not alone in showing an interest, as Manchester City and Barcelona are also keen.
Now, as reported by The Telegraph [27 November], Chelsea are prepared to offload the defender in January as they look to raise funds for players in other positions.
Burnley are also said to have been unsuccessful with a £31.5million bid in the summer [The Metro, 1 September], which is reported to have been the player’s choice, rather than Chelsea’s.
That rumoured interest, plus his valuation, means that West Ham will not find it easy signing Maatsen in January, but it is a transfer that makes perfect sense.
Cresswell is out of contract at the end of the campaign and will almost certainly depart London Stadium. Emerson has been a regular at left-back this season, but is he really a long-term choice in that position?
While Maatsen may be inexperienced at Premier League level, he lit up the Championship with Burnley last season, explaining their desperation to sign him permanently.
The Dutchman registered double figures for assists (10) and also chipped in with six goals of his own. Maatsen also impressed defensively – the first port of call for a defender – as he was named in the Championship’s Team of the Year.
For all the talk of United needing a new striker at some point in 2024, other positions will also come into focus at the end of the season. And it may well be that come July, talented target Maatsen is no longer available.
West Ham should therefore ensure they are well positioned to pounce when the window reopens in a little over a month’s time.
In other West Ham news, a BBC Sport pundit says David Moyes would have been “spitting feathers” at a development last week.